Papillomavirus HPV16 L1 polynucleotide

Abstract

A method of providing papillomavirus like articles which may be used for diagnostic purposes or for incorporation in a vaccine for use in relation to infections causd by papillomavirus. The method includes an initial step of constructing one or more recombinant DNA molecules which each encode papillomavirus L1 protein or a combination of papillomavirus L1 protein and papillomavirus L2 protein followed by a further step of transfecting a suitable host cell with one or more of the recombinant DNA molecules so that virus like particles (VLPs) are produced within the cell after expression of the L1 or combination of L1 and L2 proteins. The VLPs are also claimed per se as well as vaccines incorporating the VLPs.

The claims defining the invention are as follows:  
     
       1. A polynucleotide consisting essentially of a polynucleotide segment that has the sequence of nucleotides 5637 to 7154 of the HPV16 genome. 
     
     
       2. A polynucleotide of  claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is DNA. 
     
     
       3. A recombinant DNA molecule comprising the polynucleotide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       4. The DNA molecule of  claim 3 , wherein said molecule is selected from the group consisting of a plasmid, a cosmid, a vector, a baculovirus, a vaccinia virus, an adenovirus and a retrovirus. 
     
     
       5. The DNA molecule of  claim 4 , wherein said polynucleotide is operably linked to a promoter. 
     
     
       6. The DNA molecule of  claim 5 , wherein said promoter is a viral promoter. 
     
     
       7. The DNA molecule of  claim 6 , wherein said promoter is a vaccina virus promoter. 
     
     
       8. The DNA molecule of  claim 7 , wherein said promoter is a the vaccinia virus 4b promoter. 
     
     
       9. The DNA molecule of  claim 5 , wherein said promoter is a mammalian promoter. 
     
     
       10. The DNA molecule of  claim 3 , wherein said polynucleotide is operably linked to a polyadenylation signal. 
     
     
       11. The DNA molecule of  claim 10 , wherein said polyadenylation signal is viral. 
     
     
       12. The DNA molecule of  claim 10 , wherein said polyadenylation signal is mammalian. 
     
     
       13. A host cell comprising the polynucleotide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       14. A host cell comprising the molecule of  claim 3 . 
     
     
       15. The host cell of  claim 14 , wherein said cell is selected from the group consisting of a procaryotic cell and a eucaryotic cell. 
     
     
       16. The host cell of  claim 15 , wherein said procaryotic cell is  E. coli.    
     
     
       17. The host cell of  claim 15 , wherein said eucaryotic cell is selected from a yeast cell, an insect cell or a mammalian cell. 
     
     
       18. The host cell of  claim 17 , wherein said cell is a CV1 cell. 
     
     
       19. The host cell of claim, wherein said cell is a  S. frugiperda  cell. 
     
     
       20. The plasmid pLC201.